


It all began when Rin came up with this stupid idea.

by ever_blue



Category: Free!
Genre: Drabbles, First Dates, First Kiss, First Love, FullofCrap, Games, High School, Hurt/Comfort, Keep reading and you'll see, M/M, Onesided, Out of character characters, crack-fic, dares, hopefully smut, main!Soumako, side!Rinharu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-21
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-02-21 03:12:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2452622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ever_blue/pseuds/ever_blue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I love you,” Sousuke muttered, a hard whisper into his cell phone. Heat crept up his face to flush his cheeks as he willed all his emotion into that one single sentence. The person on the other end of the line didn’t respond, or more like <i>couldn’t</i> respond to the raven-haired male’s sudden confession. It was a long, dreadful silence. All Sousuke could do was push on a little further, and just get this over with. “Did you hear me? I said I love you, Tachibana."</p><p>Well, shit.</p><p>What the fuck did he just do?</p><p>Why the fuck did he do it?</p><p>Oh, right.</p><p>He was friends with Matsuoka-<i>fucking</i>-Rin.</p><p> </p><p>Or, to put it short, how Sousuke was too stubborn (and horrendously cheesy) for his own good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Author of 'I have a little over 9 months left' here. I got sidetracked. I'm so sorry.  
> Well, this came into my mind and i couldn't shake it off for quite some time so i decided to put it in actual words.
> 
> Bear with my horrid english ;_;
> 
> Much loves!
> 
> Yay for SouMako week!

“I love you,” Sousuke muttered, a hard whisper into his cell phone. Heat crept up his face to flush his cheeks as he willed all his emotion into that one single sentence. The person on the other end of the line didn’t respond, or more like _couldn’t_ respond to the raven-haired male’s sudden confession. It was a long, dreadful silence. All Sousuke could do was push on a little further, and just get this over with. “Did you hear me? I said I love you, Tachibana,” he said, louder, more sure of himself than the previous time, hoping his voice didn’t waver or quake, praying that his message was through, loud and clear.  


And with that, he hung up.  


Shit.  


What the fuck had he just done?  


Why the hell did he do what he just did?  


Oh.  


Right.  


Because he was friends with Matsuoka- _fucking-Rin_.  


“There. I fucking did it, Rin. I hope you’re happy now.” Sousuke placed his cell on his lap and proceed to glare at said redhead, who had been stifling a laugh throughout the entire scenario. Here they were, in their dorm, with Rin finally being able to double over with laughter, guffawing like a lunatic, heavily gasping for air, grabbing at his stomach and actually crying from the pain of laughing. Tears were smudged all over his cheeks, and there was something to Rin’s annoying laughter that somehow reminded Sousuke of a dying hyena who had been rammed over with a sledge hammer. And that was really saying something. The taller male stood up from the chair he sat on, went over to his idiot of a friend and gave him a sharp jab in the ribs. 

That had finally stopped Rin from his hideous laughing/dying animal calls. 

“Sh-shit, Sou! That _hurt_!” The male clutched the place where he was jabbed, doubling- over on his mattress and scowled at Sousuke, who was glaring down at him with those droopy eyes of his, with an equally fierce scowl of his own. But then, his brain hit the replay button of his best friends’ confession to his other good friend back in Iwatobi, and again, he had to stifle the next line of giggles that were about to erupt. But evidently, he failed.  


Sousuke sighed, hoping his friend would choke on himself or something.  


“I win the dare, Matsuoka. You owe me 20 bucks.”  


Rin looked up with watery eyes (definitely not from crying) and nodded, lips still curved up into a devilish grin. “That was worth the 20 bucks, dude. Damn, I should’ve recorded the whole thing! You should’ve seen yourself blush, Sou!” He fished out a 20 from his wallet and handed it to Sousuke, and to his surprise, Sousuke had actually thought twice before grabbing the cash, folding it neatly before shoving it in his sweat pants’ pocket. “Though next time, you should really give Makoto the chance to answer. That was rude of you.”  


“There won’t be a next time, Rin,” he huffed, shoulders slumping, exhausted from the training (we all know that there was more to it) and hoisted himself into the top bunk. “G’night. And thanks for the 20. I earned it.”  


And earned it he did.  


Soon after, Rin, still smiling from that little episode, could hear a soft snoring from above. It was already half past one in the morning, and he should get some shut eye, too, but his mind wouldn’t allow it, still in the hype from what he had witnessed.  


He always knew Sousuke was never the kind to turn down dares.  


No matter how stupid, absurd, embarrassing or life-threatening as they seem, Sousuke Yamazaki will _never_ turn down a dare.  


As long as Rin promises to pay, of course. There wasn’t really a reason he should turn down a dare, because he wasn’t a chicken, and his friend is a bitch, and really, why the hell should he not?  


He tucked his arms behind his head, staring up towards the base of the top bunk, reminiscing the times when they were younger. He was particularly fond of this moment where he had dared Sousuke to enter the ladies room back when Rin was still in Iwatobi. Sousuke, looking as cool as ever actually agreed to do it, but at what cost? His favorite popsicle, Rin’s treat. They walked towards the nearest washroom and the raven-haired boy had entered the female’s room without once turning to glance at Rin, much to the latter’s’ surprise as he stood outside waiting for his painfully stubborn friend to return. There were a few yells that came from the ladies washroom, but that was about it. Sousuke reemerged, nonchalant, and they went to get their popsicles.  


Having dared the larger male to confess to the other large male was one of the best dares he had come up with so far.  


_‘I should do this to him more often_ ,’ thought Rin with a smile, the stupid game bringing back the good ol’ times. He wouldn’t mind if he had to give away his last cent, because really, it was god damned worth it. Maybe he should start planning his next dare, and maybe-just maybe, Makoto is going to be involved in this round, again.  


_‘Speaking of which, I wonder how Makoto feels now after that little confession.’_

 

\--

 

“Haruuuu, what am I going to _dooooo_? Ya-Yamazaki-kun…he said…he said he _loved_ me!” Makoto shrieked (a very manly shriek, mind you) into his phone in a horrendously ungodly hour. He panicked, because, _who wouldn’t_ , after receiving such a confession in the dead of night? His mind was a mess, his heart was stammering so hard it was about to rip his chest apart, his palms were sweaty, his face was burning up like a furnace which could definitely make tea and oh god oh god oh GOD SOUSUKE IS IN LOVE, with _ME?_  


“ _Calm down, Makoto_.” Haru sounded annoyed, but there was a hint of worry in there, somewhere. Makoto felt relatively guilty for waking his best friend up because he needed to talk to someone, only to deafen Haruka with his panicky school-girl squeals. _“Are you sure it wasn’t some kind of nightmare?_ ”  


“No, no. I’m sure of it, Haru. H-he called me, and it’s still here in my call log, saying Yamazaki Sousuke, 1:37 a.m. He said he loved me, b-but I don’t know, because we don’t talk at all, in fact, I don’t think we’ve _ever_ had a proper conversa-“  


“ _How do you feel towards Sousuke, Makoto?_ ” Haru cut Makoto short, voice already growing weary into a half-sleeping state. The brunette held on tightly to his covers, because it was cold, and because he was only in his boxers, and because he was confused as hell. Yamazaki-kun loved him? This couldn’t be, could it? If he had shown any interest towards Makoto at all, that would have made a little (maybe not a lot, but still) more sense.  


But how did he feel about Sousuke?  


It was hard for Makoto to find somebody who was bigger than him, and that was really saying something. The first time he had laid eyes on Sousuke, well, he couldn’t recall now in that hazy state of mind he was in, but damn, the taller male was a stunning piece of art. But was he attracted to the other male in _that_ way?  


“I-I don’t know, Haru, I really don’t-“ Makoto stammered, not being able to catch a breath or to find the right words to say. He was tired, sleepy and confused, but his heart pumped adrenaline via his blood vessels all over his body, and he couldn’t help but fidget. “Haruuuu, what am I going to dooo?” He howled again, hoping he didn’t wake his family up. He was hoping for a logical explanation of to what had just happened, or else he wouldn’t be getting any proper sleep tonight.  


Haru huffed through the phone.  


_“Was he drunk?”_  


“No, I don’t think so, he-“  


_“Well, if he loves you as much as I love water, you have my blessing, Makoto. Though I am not very fond of Sousuke myself. Goodnight.”_  


And the line went dead.  


“E-eh?! HARU!” He squealed another manly squeal before slamming his mouth shut with his palm. He groaned with exhaustion and disbelief at his best friend. He had just hung up on him like that, without really giving Makoto any solid suggestions or what he needed most –comfort. That, and gave him his _blessings_ instead. What was that supposed to mean?  


He rolled back on his bed, placing his cell on his night stand and sighed, body heavy and drained of all energy.  


_‘Yamazaki-kun wasn’t serious…was he?’_

 

\--

 

“So, are you up for another dare, Sou?”  


All he got from Sousuke was another harsh glare. It was a Sunday, but the both of them had got up earlier to head to the school’s gym. Rin was on the weights while Sousuke was on the treadmill, jogging at a brisk pace with his jersey soaking with sweat. Rin didn’t have to ask twice to know that his awe strikingly handsome friend would never turn down any dares. Never.  


He was too full of pride for that. He is _not_ a chicken.  


Sousuke slowed down his pace, and eventually, he got off the machine and stood right next to Rin, taking on a few weights himself.  


“You actually have been planning another dare for me the whole night through, haven’t you. You’re the spawn of Satan, Rin. I don’t even know why I put up with you.” He huffed with each rep, making sure not to take it too far or his shoulder would suffer again. Rin was looking at him expectantly, but he wasn’t sure if he was up to it yet, not right after the scene he had caused last night. He hadn’t been able to sleep well in guilt of what he had done to poor, innocent Tachibana. Surely, the other male would’ve succumbed to confusion by now.  


Though he wasn’t really all up to it (and didn't want to jeopardise any other victims of Rin) … he might’ve been just a tad bit curious to know how much Rin was willing to pay.  


“Well, yeah, and right now I feel like some sort of love-matching genius.” This got a snort from Sousuke. “And I think it would end pretty nicely, if you do your part well enough.”  


Rin was grinning his devilishly wicked shark-like grin again, and the taller male wasn’t sure if he was up for the challenge. But he wasn’t about to back away now. Nope. He was Sousuke Yamazaki, and damned if he turned down a Matsuoka dare, his father will surely disown him if he found out his son was actually a chicken who can’t even say yes to a dare.  


“Fine. Spill it.”  


The redhead dropped his weights on to the floor and gave Sousuke a _‘you’re-so-going-to-regret-this’_ look.  


“Okay. For 30 bucks and a year-long supply of Cola, you’ll have to make Makoto fall in love with you.” Sousuke widened his eyes in shock and was about to say something and protest but Rin continued. “That, and you’ll have to convince him to be your boyfriend. You’ll have to take up all the responsibilities of an actual boyfriend, being a sweet-heart to him and everything.”  


“Why Makoto, of all people.”  


Rin smirked. “Because he is patient enough to actually put up with a grumpy jerk like you.” Said jerk was about to slap his best friend at the back of the head when he continued. “And besides, it’s a win-win situation no matter how you look at it. You get to date Makoto, and hell, maybe he’ll melt your heart enough to make you a nice guy again. And for Makoto, he gets to get time away from Haru, because God knows that is what he needs. And Haru…”  


“So, it this some kind of elaborate scheme to get Tachibana away from Nanase to have him all to yourself?”  


“Well, if you put it that way…”  


Sousuke sighed, weighing the dare, giving it much thought. Rin was right, though, it was a win-win thing no matter how he looked at it. Tachibana was pretty attractive, and pretty, and what the fuck did he just call a guy as buff as him ‘pretty?’ Maybe, just maybe, he could enjoy his time together with the other male, and something might just start from there. A flower blossoming in the winter. But the chances were low, though. The only two things he knew about Tachibana was that he swims backstroke and he was glued to the hips with that darned Nanase.  


Speaking of which, this was beginning to feel like some sort of set-up for him to snatch Tachibana away and render Nanase companionless. Sousuke guessed that this was where Rin made his grand entrance.  


His heart wanted to agree to all of this, but his mind said otherwise. Would it be wise to play out Tachibana’s feelings like this? He did confess to him the night before, and he would have to confront him sooner or later anyway. What if he couldn’t feel anything towards the guy in the end, would the dare still be a success, or would it mean that he had just lied to Tachibana all because he was dared to do so? Well, if he didn’t manage to catch feelings for the other guy, he could pull up with some sort of excuse, and all of it could just end there, so why not.  


Besides, it was well worth 30 bucks and free cola for the rest of the year.  


“Okay. I accept your dare.”  


Now it was Rin’s turn to widen his eyes in shock. “You sure about this? I mean, I don’t want to pressure you or anything but…” The redhead knew Sousuke wasn’t one to commit in a relationship. Though, he knew the taller male had a few past flings before, and that he was a very, very good flirter when he needed to be. Surely Sousuke was able to woo Makoto enough to have the brunette fall head over heels with him, but what about Sousuke himself? Rin was worried his friend would slip and perhaps their cover would be blown. One slip and it would cost Rin his greatest friends. But if things go right, Sousuke might just get trapped in the holy light of Makoto, so full of passion and kindness and everything angelic. Hell, it might be Sousuke who ends up falling in love first, because what kind of fucking idiot wouldn’t be charmed by the ever-so-perfect Makoto?  


All of that, and Haruka would be his.  


“If you do fall in love with him, though, don’t come complaining to me saying I didn’t warn you.”  


Sousuke pursed his lips. He will make sure that this challenge would cost Rin every cent he was paying to enjoy the show. He was damned sure that Rin was just full of himself. If anything, he would be the one to charm the pants off of Makoto first. He had a heart made of steel, it would take a millennium for a stranger to turn it into an actual beating heart again.  


“Trade bunks with me and I’ll have Makoto needing me enough to forget about Nanase.”  


“Game on, grumpy.”

 

\--

 

It had been two days since Sousuke confessed to him, and things seemed like they were getting back to normal. It had started normal enough, on a beautiful Tuesday morning, and he continued his routine as per normal, burying the confession to the deepest pits of his mind. It had started with pulling Haru out of the tub; groaning when the raven-haired boy went off to grill even more mackerel instead of changing and heading to school; getting to his class a little later than he should –it was all routine. But his routine went totally off-track when he was down at the pool during swim practice, and Sousuke was there. _There_ , as in literally 2 feet in front of him. By the pool.  


“Y-Yamazaki-kun!” He was blushing, and he was sure of it. His face felt hot, his body even hotter though he was already in his swimwear. The memories of that night came rushing back in to his vision, and lucky for him (or unlucky), no one has arrived to the club, yet. Not even Haruka, who had been called out by a teacher for some unknown reason.  


He gulped, face burning red.  


Never in his life had he felt so self-conscious of his own body.  


“Just call me Sousuke, really. No need to be so formal.” Sousuke smiled one of those rare smiles he reserved for a special cause. Yeah, he had got onto the train and headed down to Iwatobi just to meet his ‘crush’ (much to Rin’s chagrin) and even used his own allowance to buy a box of fancy seashell chocolates (because Rin had told him that Makoto loved chocolates) by a store and here he is. Right in front of Makoto Tachibana. So, of course he was going to flash his rare smiles.  


Makoto was really out of it. There Sousuke was, a hand in his pocket and another hand wrapped around a box of chocolates and suddenly the brunette became hyper aware of…well, everything. The way Sousuke is smiling at him like a blind man seeing light for the first time. The way Sousuke smelled, it rendered him breathless. His turquoise eyes, shinning, glistening the same way Haru-  


The thought of Haru’s words send a jolt through him, slapping him awake.  


_‘You have my blessing, Makoto.’_  


“Sousuke… well, call me Makoto.” There it was, he had managed to find his voice again. He allowed his body to feel a little more relax, letting it adjust to the tension in the air. He smiled, eyes crinkling as he did and decided that Sousuke Yamazaki is a nice man, after all.

 

\--

 

Rin was right. Fuck, he was more than _right_. Makoto wasn’t just any normal mortal; the man in front of him was an absolute angel in a human body. All softness and smiles, kindness and warmth, passion and love and exactly everything the opposite of sin.  


It made Sousuke feel a tad guilty.  


This was just a dare, after all.  


_‘Damn you, Rin. If you had properly introduced him to me before, I would already be doing terrible, terrible things to him.’_  


After Makoto had asked him to drop all the formalities, he couldn’t help but notice how well-sculpted the brunette’s body was. Those arms and the shoulders definitely marked him as a backstroke swimmer. The broadness of his chest was not to be messed with but most of all, the V-cut was standing out so much that Sousuke found it hard to look away from it, harder to stop himself from looking anywhere lower than that. His hips were damned hypnotizing, all rock hard muscles that could definitely be compatible with Sousuke’s own. And that ass…  


_‘Okay, so maybe not everything about him is angelic.’_  


“Uh…Sousuke?”  


Makoto was looking at him, confusion evident in his tone and a soft blush on his face. Sousuke snapped out of his trance and closed the distance between them with one long stride, his smile never once wavered. He placed the box of chocolate in the brunettes’ hand with a gentle touch.  


“Rin told me you liked chocolate, so…” He let his voice wander off; hoping Makoto would get the message. “And I apologize for that night, for…” His voice sounded softer than he wanted it to be. All he could do was hope that Tachibana didn’t find it too out of character.  


Hell, he felt like he was living in some sappy love drama.  


“Sousuke…you didn’t have to, really. But still, thank you, because these are my favorite.”  


Makoto was giving him such a natural smile, it made Sousuke wonder if he could one day smile like that, too.

 

\--

 

Sousuke found himself smiling more than he was supposed to, because it had felt like second nature when it was with Tachibana. Talking and chatting about the little things with Makoto with their feet dipped into the pool. They talked, but neither one of them brought up the topic of Sousuke’s confession the other night. Instead, they submerged themselves in topics of their hobbies, food preference, and ways to strengthen their swimming techniques and what not.  


“You should totally do some reverse crunches. I do them at home and that’s how I get the even tone of muscles. Rock hard abs.”  


“Really? I barely go to the gym, but when I do, it’s usually just the treadmill for me and Haru. We don’t normally lift.”  


“You look like the kind who can pin me down without much effort, though.”  


Makoto chuckled again, sending another wave of who-knows-what through Sousuke’s body, like electricity running through his veins. It was weird, not being able to pinpoint exactly what he was feeling at that very moment. Yeah, Rin had warned him about the hazards of being around Tachibana, but this was slightly out of his game. Yeah, he had past relationships, but being around Makoto made him forget all about his previous failures. He felt comfortable, and Makoto had this warmth radiating off of him which started seeping itself under Sousuke’s skin. And yeah, he caught himself glancing sideways and watch as Makoto laughed, and even find himself laughing along with him, too, too many times he could count.  


He was in deep shit now, wasn’t he?  


He had prepared himself for the fall, but he had never imagined it to be this soon. He had prepared himself for this, but then he realized that there was nothing could’ve prepared him for this.  


Well, no way he could back out now.  


“Mako-chaaa- wait. It’s _Yamazaki_ -chan!”  


‘ _Yamazaki_ -chan?’ Thought Sousuke, blinking twice, cringing inwardly.  


Well, now there was definitely no way to back out. In a literal sense.  


The both of them turned around to see the other four entering from the main gate, and soon a yellow tornado made its way to Makoto, glomping him from the back, nearly pushing Makoto into the pool with the sheer force. Sousuke grimaced, hoping his supposedly ‘love-interest’ didn’t get a dislocated hip or something. His teal eyes met bright pink ones, a flashing mob of blonde hair and his ears (and unfortunately Makoto’s) were bombarded with a stream of endless question. He didn’t answer them because he didn’t want to, but it was because he couldn’t, never given a chance, and Nagisa was yapping on and on and-  


“Sou-chan! What are you doing here with Mako-chan? Aren’t you supposed to be in Samezuka? Where’s RinRin? Why isn’t he here with you? Ah! Is he going out with Ai-chan-“  


_‘God, what is with this kid and the –chans? And who the fuck is he calling RinRin?’_  


“-? So what brings you here, huh? Did you come to tell us that there’s another joint practice? Are we invited? It’s been so long since we had a joint practice, don’t you think, Rei-chan –“  


_‘Too much enthusiasm. How did Rin survive this. How does anybody survive this.’_  


But for Makoto’s sake, he remained quiet while the blonde continued his stream of questions without ever once stopping for air. His head hurts.  


“And why are you looking at Mako-chan like you’re about to kiss him, huh? Ooooh! Are you guys dating now? Are you are you are you? Mako-chaaaan why did you not tell us about this earlier?”  


It was the Rei-chan guy (nice glasses, dude) who finally put an end to the madness by pulling him away like a mother cat would pull the kittens away by the neck. Nagisa was protesting, but Rei stood firm. It finally ended. His headache was subsiding, and he glanced over to Makoto who was smiling an apologetic smile. Sousuke gave him a knowing glance, hoping that his eyes were able to convey the message ‘it’s okay.’ He glanced around the group again, where he saw a familiar shade of red hair and ruby eyes. Standing at the back of the group was Gou and he gave her a welcoming small smile.  


“Hello, Gou. Nice seeing you again.”  


“You too, Sousuke-kun! Why are you here?” Gou asked, and this time, he felt comfortable enough to actually say:  


“I’m here to bring your captain out on a date.”  


There was a moment of utter silence; even Nagisa was quiet, allowing the message to sink itself in. He wasn’t much of a mind reader, but he could see that their faces were ones of understanding. Makoto was silent, right next to him, giving him a small, meek smile. The silence was broken off by Nanase in the back of the crowd, who gave the brunette by his side a deep, knowing glance with bright sapphire eyes. Oh yeah, Rin had once told him that ‘they can actually read each other’s mind. Don’t get so freaked out by that, yeah?’  


“You can go on ahead, Makoto. We can handle ourselves today.”

 

\--

 

“So…that went well,” muttered Sousuke, his hands deep in his pockets, walking side-by-side with Makoto, who still hasn’t erase the look of guilt off of his face. They were walking along the calm shores of the Iwatobi beach, and the sun was just about to set, yellow rays turning orange as the ocean engulfed it, little by little, over the horizon. It was a pretty remarkable sight to behold.  


“I’m sorry about my friends. They are a…very enthusiastic bunch, don’t you think?” Makoto was staring out into the ocean; head turned away from Sousuke, his body’s outline illuminated by what’s left of the sun’s fading rays. But from what the taller male could make out, the brunette was actually smiling.  


“Yeah.”  


Sousuke wasn’t really paying attention to the conversation. He let his mind wander off, to a time before there was Tachi- no, Makoto. He wouldn’t describe his past as dull, because it could never be dull whenever Rin was around. Rin, his greatest friend, greatest rival, greatest _everything_ , his pillar of strength and courage.  


How could Rin fail to notice that it was actually _him_ Sousuke have loved, all these years?  


“Sousuke? Are you alright? You seem off… is something bothering you?” Makoto whispered as his brows furrowed, hoping he wasn’t in the way of the taller male’s thoughts.  


Having his name mentioned, it snapped him back into the present. Rin had knew, hell, who wouldn’t have known –he was so painfully obvious. Rin figured him out, but instead, the redhead decided to leave his love unrequited, and even matched him up with another friend of his. It was a way of Rin telling him to give him up, a way to show Sousuke that he was genuinely concerned about his friend, and also, a way to show that it wasn’t Sousuke who Rin was interested in, it was that Nanase.  


But, it was also thanks to Rin that he was able to move on from…well, Rin himself. His previous relationships were nothing but sea foam and dust now. They were insignificant, just a phase of his previous days. Sometimes, they were nothing but a mistake, while others felt nothing more than just a burden. He could let his past go free now, and move on, for the sake Rin, and for himself.  


Because now, he has his eyes set on a new goal.  


“Yeah, I’m fine, so don’t give me that look, Makoto. You know, for someone your size and height, you are too damned adorable at times.” He gave a small smirk at the male who was walking on his other side, finally made his mind clear enough to pay full attention to his partner.  


The way Makoto blushed made him want to kiss those lips of his, there and then.  


And he knew, he _knew_ , he was already in love.  


_‘Thank you, Matsuoka-fucking-Rin.’_

 

\--

 

“Thanks, again, for treating me to dinner, Sousuke.”  


“Don’t mention it, really. You’re a lighter eater than I am.”  


They were now heading back to Makoto’s house (mush to his disbelief, and Sousuke had insisted, being the gentleman that he is) because it was already well past eight in the evening. Sousuke had decided on having Ramen for dinner, and it was the younger’s’ job to locate the best Ramen shop in town. Makoto had led him to this little hole-in-the-wall style shop, cozy, warm, and they had lingered there far longer than they had planned to.  


Well, it was a good opportunity for Makoto to know more about Sousuke, anyway.  


The topic from two nights ago had not been touched still, but he didn’t mind it anymore. He had enjoyed his dinner with the raven-haired boy who was annoyingly a tad bit taller. Not like he doesn’t enjoy dinners with Haruka, no – but Makoto was really getting sick of being able to eat one kind of fish, whether it was at Haru’s house or eating out. He had missed the taste of salmon, the texture of unagi.  


That aside and Makoto doesn’t feel like he was talking to a walking wall anymore.  


Despite his cool, uncaring demeanour, Sousuke enjoyed the small talks, the small things, much to the other's relief. Makoto was able to talk more openly with him, feel more comfortable despite having not felt uncomfortable (because Sousuke _did_ claim that he loved him) and actually engage in real conversation.  


_‘Am I abandoning Haruka for Sousuke?’_  


He laughed, shaking the thought out of his head. On the contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t really that attached to Haru on the hips. He had others he could rely on, too. He had Rei, Nagisa, Gou, Rin, and now, the newest addition, Sousuke. Haru had his own world of his own as well, and Makoto was pretty sure he himself was involved in the Nanase verse, but not as much as Rin had a tight, suffocating grasp on his best friends’ world, a grasp which Makoto had once longed to own. The moment Haru raced Rin again, the both of them had left destruction in their wake, leaving Makoto in the dark.  


Haru would be Haru, his best friend, and that is a fact that not even time could change.  


Sousuke however…was something much more different than what he had expected. Something that Makoto needed time to figure out altogether.  


They arrived at Makoto’s doorstep; their journey had been quiet, but comfortable. Sousuke never once checked his cell, never once pulling it out _‘because it is rude to do so on a date,’_ he had mentioned which made him blush like mad, because it was a date. But now he does, because it is getting dark, and it is getting late. Makoto glanced worriedly at the taller male again. Would Sousuke be able to make it back safely to Samezuka? Did he know his way to the station?  


And more importantly, had Sousuke really meant what he had said that night during the phone call?  


“Sousuke…” he whispered, but it came out too loud to be a whisper, and the aforementioned man locked his turquoise eyes with emerald ones, both of them illuminated merely by some street lights. “A-about that night…when you said –“  


“When I said I love you? I meant it, Makoto.”  


The brunette gaped at him. “How-how did you –?”  


“Manage to guess? Well, I’m not Nanase, but your face blew your cover, perhaps since the moment you saw me.” Damn. Was he really that bad at hiding things? “We haven't really gotten the chance to know each other before, but I guess I was already attracted to you the first time I met you.”  


His tone was so cool, so calm, like the sea.  


Sousuke had walked up closer to Makoto, and the latter was really hoping that his parents had brought the twins out so that he wouldn’t get caught in the act. The taller male was now 5 inches away from his face, and Makoto could feel Sousuke’s fingers, gently caressing his cheek. 4 inches now, and Sousuke smells like chlorine and miso and cinnamon and something musky, everything burning in his trachea and numbing his mind.  


3 inches, and he noticed how Sousuke’s eyes were the color of teal-turquoise, and it was boring into his emerald ones with so much intensity.  


2 inches, and Makoto could feel his own cheeks burn up, and Sousuke moved his fingers from his jaw to entangle itself in his olive-brown hair.  


1 inch left, and Makoto could feel Sousuke’s breath, minty and fresh, and his heart was pumping too fast, too hard in his chest cavity.  


It was Sousuke who closed in the remaining distance between them, and landed a small, sweet peck on Makoto’s cheek.  


_Cheek._  


_'Of course...'_

Sousuke distanced himself again, but still, the kiss lingered on his cheeks, and it felt blissful. “My confession two nights ago still remains to be answered, you know. I didn’t want to push my luck too far, not until you were sure that you wanted to be with me. Not until you…not until you were able to feel the same way I feel, so…”  


Oh.  


So, it was his turn to say something.  


But was he already so sure of his feelings?  


Sousuke was giving him a chance, he could back out of it now, or he could…  


Did he like Sousuke as much as Haru loved water?  


No, but…  


Maybe something could start from there.  


Sousuke noticed the strange silence and decided it was best to just leave it at there. “Well I guess if you don’t want to answer me now, or don’t have an answer, it’s –”  


“Ask me out properly.”  


The taller male shifted his glance from the ground to meet expectant emerald eyes which were waiting for him for a response. Sousuke was, no doubt, shocked by the request. Was this really the same Tachibana he had fell in love with just a few moments ago? Where did the sudden burst of courage and mischief come from?  


Sousuke grinned. “If you insist.”  


Makoto watched, his whole body shivering, breath hitching as Sousuke got down on one knee, holding his hands in his own. He was grinning, and the taller male was chuckling. This would be a night he would never forget.  


“My dearest Makoto, though I am no photographer, but I can definitely picture you and me together. From the very first moment I saw you, I asked my friends for a Band-Aid because I scrapped my knee falling for you. I need you like a bird needs to fly, like fishes need water. I love you, I really do, and I believe in love at sight because I didn’t have to look at you twice to know that I already fell for you. Would you please be my boyfriend?” He could notice the faintest blush adorning Sousuke’s cheeks. “Because if you don’t, I would have to go home embarrassed to death and this would probably haunt me for the rest of my existence.”  


Makoto was caught in hysteria. He wanted to laugh, to break down into giggles there and then, because Sousuke is the cheesiest guy he had ever met. His eyes were tearing, and his sight was blurred. The taller male was still on his knees, waiting for an answer.  


“If you stop it with those pick-up lines, then yes, I will be your boyfriend.”  


Sousuke stood up and pulled him into a warm embrace, chuckling as he did so.  


“Baby, I was just getting started.”

 

\--

 

He was on his bunk, smiling like he had struck the jackpot. Well, technically, he had, and his prize was winning Tachibana Makoto. The moment he stepped into his room, Rin was already there, looking at him expectantly, already having moved up to the top bunk, leaving the lower bunk all to himself.  


This was the best dare Rin had ever come up with.  


“So? How did it go, you cheesy arse?”  


Sousuke just grinned.  


“Nanase is all yours, RinRin.”  


“So I can take that as a good –WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING RINRIN?!”

 

\--

 

Makoto could only smile, the memory fresh in his mind. Right now, he was in a relationship with Sousuke Yamazaki. Though he did not want to admit this, but internally, he was screaming like a school girl. Sousuke had just confessed to him again, this time with much added passion. Sousuke had used horrible pickup lines on him, and he had said yes. He had said yes, and god, he was happy.  


_Buzz._  


He was already on his bed, after showering, unable to do anything else but squabble in happiness. He noticed the bright light his cell was emitting and reached out to grab it.  


It said,  


**[Missing you already. Did you have a good day? –Sou]**  


He smiled, already formulating what to reply but –  


_Buzz._  


Another one?  


**[Rin’s bugging me to go out with you again so he can have Nanase to himself. What do you say? Wanna go to the gym with me this Saturday?]**  


He texted back, and wondered if Rin was already seizing the chance to claim Haru from his side.  


**[Gym sounds nice! Not doing anything, really. Thinking bout you. I already miss you and your cheesy pick-up lines. And my day was great, all thanks to you. Tell Rin that he already has Haru all to himself since the beginning of time, I won’t mind ^^]**  


He hit the ‘send’ button, lips spread wide into a smile.  


Makoto would need to get used to this.  


_Buzz._  


**[Mako, Rin here. Did he really use his photographer and band-aid pick-up lines on you. Cuz if he did I will castrate him]**  


How in the world? Did Rin snatch his phone? 

_Buzz._  


**[Sousuke here. If I received a dollar for every time I saw someone as beautiful as you, I’d still have a dollar.] **  
****

_Buzz_.  


**[Rin’s so annoying. You like me cheesy pick-up lines, don’t you? Hope we’re not bothering you]**  


He typed back feverishly, giggling as he did. These two were impossible. Though, the brunette might me just a splash jealous of Rin who was able to see Sousuke 24/7.  


**[Yes, Rin, he used those lines on me but please don’t castrate him okay? I just got him not long ago]**

**[Though they are too cheesy, I like them. And no, I’m not busy right now so it’s okay]**

Send. 

_Buzz._

**[You are the reason why men turn gay. If you were ground coffee, you’d be espresso cause you’re so fine.]**

_Buzz._

**[If it weren’t for the sun, you’d be the hottest thing ever created.]**

_Buzz._

**[Makoto seriously. Give the okay sign and I’ll knock him senseless.]**

He laughed, unable to take any more of those nasty pick-up lines and Rin’s constant threat to punch his boyfriend. 

His _boyfriend._

That word was still so foreign to him. Sure, he has had a few past crushes before, but he had never entered any serious relationship. He hadn’t thought he would have to come out of the closet someday before, because he was never attracted to any men in that way before. Would his parents approve? 

He saved that thought for later, because it was a very special date to him. 

11th of July. 

He texted back. 

**[Don’t kill him please. I like them so it’s okay. Anyway, I am going to sleep now, Sousuke. See you this Saturday. See you soon, Rin. Goodnight, both of you.]**

Yes, he’ll need time to get used to this. 

\-- 

“I told you so, Sousuke. I _told_ you so.”

“Rin, just shut the hell up.” 

“You’re a lucky man, Sou. I’d bet there were others who were on the waiting list to tap that ass, and you just went in like _‘fwoosh.’_ You swept him off his feet –“ 

“I swear to god, Matsuoka.” 

“ –by using your dumb, shitty pick-up lines. You gotta be glad Makoto is an angel –“ 

“…yeah, he truly is an angel. Thanks, Rin.” 

They were getting prepped for sleep, but the redhead just couldn’t let it rest. He had read their entire conversation, the stupid butterfly stroke swimmer, _every damned thing._ Sousuke was feeling rather restless himself, but it was going to be another long day tomorrow for him, too long until it was Saturday. Rin was going on and on and on and on (like how his blonde friend had did) about how he should really treat Makoto super well and how Rin is going to go in for that Nanase. 

“…You know, Sousuke. You should probably tell Makoto about how all of this started off as a dare before he finds out himself.” 

Sousuke held his cell up close to his face, re-reading the conversation between him and his new boyfriend (and of course, including Rin as well) and chuckled, relishing this new feeling of happiness and bliss. He sent one last good night text to his new lover and switched it off completely. 

“Yeah, I will. This was really the best dare you could come up with, Matsuoka-fucking-Rin. I thank you.” 

“G’night, you cheesy bastard.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Am. SO. SORRY.
> 
> It's late I know, and I'm a horrible person.
> 
> But please, do enjoy this new chapter!
> 
> I'm sorry if it sucked, but i had to balance out finals and college appliactions and shit and I'M SO FUCKING SORRY.
> 
> I love you guys.

 

 

**[I think I was blind before I met you.] –sent, 11.37 p.m.**

_Buzz!_

Makoto: **[omg Sousuke it’s almost 12 why aren’t you asleep D: ]** –received, 11.39 p.m.  


Sousuke chuckled, grinning fondly at Makoto’s adorable use of emoticons. He rolled over on his side; the bright glow of his phone illuminated his smiling features. He hoped that Rin was overly exhausted from their training to be woken up by his best friends’ childish flirting with his new bo-…boy _(C’mon Sousuke, you can do this)_ boyfri- _(just a little bit more)_ … _boyfriend (there we go.)_ He was never one to take relationships seriously, and all he had were just a few flings he would forget about the next morning. Guys and girls alike. But this, this was something he wanted to actually last. This feeling he has. The thought of having Makoto as his love interest makes his heart flutter faster; leaving him breathless at times, dizzy, lightheaded, but most importantly, happy.  


Makoto made him happier than he has ever been.  


Who would’ve thought that Rin Matsuoka’s dares would actually one day be beneficial to him?  


Definitely _not_ Sousuke.  


 **[Are you religious? Cuz you’re the answer to all my prayers.]** –sent, 11.41 p.m.  


_Buzz!_  


Makoto: **[Sou please sleep I’m so tired from training ugh ~n~]** –received, 11.45 p.m.  


_Buzz!_  


Makoto: **[btw that was a nice one, you hopeless cheese bag. Is Rin asleep?]** –received, 11.46 p.m.  


For the past 2 days, the slightly taller of the two had sent more than seventy different pick-up lines via texting ranging from _‘Where do you hide your halo?’_ to _‘you must be a broom because you just swept me off my feet’_ and the notorious _‘is your name Wifi? Cuz I’m feeling a strong connection’_ and the list is still going on and on. He would always anticipate the other’s reply, because they were just so fucking cute and they get cuter each fucking time. He could picture Makoto with his emerald eyes bright and face flushed, grinning embarrassingly at him and the mere thought of it could already melt his heart and send Sousuke into hysteria.  


Rin, on the other hand, was suffering from how awfully cheesy and ignorant and downright gross his best friend could be. There was this one time where it got so horrid that he wasn't able to stomach food for an entire day because he had accidentally read through all of their conversations, again, despite Sousuke’s constant warning to never, ever touch his phone and read them in the same context.  


There was this other time (which just so happened to be the previous night) where the text messages just kept coming and going through and fro nonstop for nearly an hour, and Sousuke had forgot to put it on silent and his phone vibrated and went ‘ding’ every five seconds in the middle of the fucking night and he forgot that Matsuoka- _fucking_ -Rin was just above his bunk and was only a person who needed some fucking beauty sleep but his darned phone was so _fucking ass loud_ and annoying that even Rin would regret to have come up with that dare.  


Eventually, the redhead had to hop down from the top bunk and moved in with his previous roommate and the latter’s new roommate because it was so fucking unbearable. Undoubtedly, Ai and Momo had welcomed him with open arms, never once questioning.  


Rin was suffering, but there were many times Sousuke had caught the red head smiling at him because he was smiling. The shark boy didn’t show it, but it was damned obvious that he was happy for him.  


Because his dare came out the way he oh-so deviantly planned. _Meticulous bastard_.  


 **[Yeah he is. You should get some sleep too, Makoto. Sorry for holding you up]** –sent, 11.50 p.m.  


 _Buzz_!  


Makoto: **[Yay! ^^ nites Sou <3 See you in two more days ;D]** –received, 11.52 p.m.  


 **[I hope you’ll see me in your dreams because you’ll definitely be in mine (; Nights.]** –sent, 11.53 p.m.  


 **[And don’t flirt with nanase too much. I might get jealous.]** –sent, 11.55 p.m.  


He switched off his phone completely and allowed it to charge from all the hard days’ work. He tucked his arms behind his head, releasing a small sigh as he did.  


Sousuke decided it was finally time for him to recharge, too.  


“You finally done down there?” A muffled, frustrated voice murmured from the top bunk, giving the taller male a slight surprise. He heaved in another deep breath, guilty to be the cause of the red head’s lack of sleep these few days.  


“I guess my charms kept you awake too, huh? I must be radiating it.”  


Rin’s red hair emerged from the on his right, and soon, a tired, beat up looking Matsuoka was hanging off the top bunk, his face upside down, illuminated by nothing other than moonlight, sending death-glares to Sousuke. Rin is the definition of ‘if eyes could kill, you’ll be dead by now’ and the maroon eyes were staring with such intensity that the taller male could feel his skin tingle and shiver.  


He might just pee his pants if they locked gazes any longer.  


Might.  


“My teeth aren’t the only similarities to a shark. Did you know that they have deadly acute hearing?” When Sousuke shook his head no, Rin’s grimace turned into a grin, eyebrows twitching in a wisely amused manner before he continued. “Sharks are quick-witted. Because of their larger brain, they are smarter than most fish. Bet you didn’t know that they detect electrical charges as well, they have this detector in their brain known to us as ampullae of Lorenzini located near the-.”  


“Well, gee, Matsuoka. The only similarity between you and the shark that I can see is that thick skull you have.”  


Rin, who was cut-off midsentence whilst going on and on about his spirit animal (or whatever it’s called) didn’t look too pleased at that comment. He had his grimace back on, and Sousuke watched as the redhead pulled himself away from the edge of the top bunk, listening to every move his best friend made just in case the latter seeked revenge. But from what he could make out, Rin had plopped himself on his pillow again, hands also tucked under his head.  


“You prick.”  


Sousuke wanted to chuckle, but he was cut short as Rin yawned, fatigue already seeping through, lacing in his words.  


“Likewise, Rin.”  


This earned him a snort from the guy above him.  


“Get married already, old man. I’m going back to sleep.”  


Sousuke wanted to make some kind of smart retort but he was cut off short (again, damn you Matsuoka) by Rin’s gentle snoring, and knowing how much his friend needed the sleep, he decided to further insult the red head the next morning.  


Huh.  


Get married, eh?  


Smiling to nobody but himself (and perhaps some tooth-fairies or invisible pegasusus because Makoto and why not), Sousuke tucked his arms behind his head, heart fluttering and pounding and doing somersaults at the thought of being to see Makoto in just a few more days, being able to look into those green, green eyes, full of life and everything else which had turned the cool, composed, ‘I-don’t-give-a-flying-fuck’ Sousuke into a mushy, blushy, dumb-as-fuck, dumb- _ass_ -fuck, jittery, stuttering, palm sweating Sousuke.  


He wasn’t so calm, cool and collected as he had initially thought he was.  


I mean, who comes up with ‘If you were ground coffee, you’d be espresso cause you’re so fine’?  


He did.  


He, as in Yamazazki Sousuke.  


And he had did so for the sake of Mr. Tachibana.  


_‘God, the wait for Saturday is killing me.’_  


Little did he know, he had it easier.  


Much, much easier.

\--

 

“Did he hurt you?”  


“No Har- ”  


“Did he force you to do anything you didn’t want to do?”  


“Wait! Haru, let me -”  


“Did he try to kiss you?”  


“Eh?! Wait, please let me fin- ”  


“Did he say anything mean?”  


“No! He would never -”  


“Where is he taking you tomorrow?”  


“I already mentioned it a few times now; we’re just going to the gym near his -”  


“Has he tried to persuade you to do anything sexual with him?”  


“WHAT?! Haru, you aren’t listening to me -”  


“Are you just some kind of booty call?”  


“…are you serious.”  


“I swear to God and all things holy, if that disgusting butterfly swimmer went as far as to put a strand of hair of yours out of place, I will make sure that he’ll reincarnate as a _butterfly_ alright.”  


“ _Haruka!_ ”  


They were in Haru’s room, on Haru’s bed, with Haru glaring down at Makoto as if the brunette was a gazelle, and he was a leopard in the wee hours of dusk. Haru was mad, more than mad, he was about to explode with fury, like a volcano, something, whatever, Makoto’s mind was too scared to even describe how utterly murderous his best friend looked at that moment. He was reminded of Rin, how the red head glared at him and Nagisa like they were nothing but cockroaches with those lethal eyes and poisonous words. _‘Huh, Haru and Rin sure have a lot in common. Maybe that’s why they would go so well with each other.’_  


Upon hearing his name, his full name leaving Makoto’s mouth (and God knows how long it has been since the brunette said his full name) Haruka let his face soften. And soon, the black, dark, electrifying, murderous aura left the room. Sapphire eyes looked downwards, embarrassed to have lashed out on his best friend like that. But it wasn’t lashing out, per se; it was more of an interrogation, in a very, very unpleasant way.  


For only one of them, that is. They were over at Haru’s for a sleepover, and they were studying with much enthusiasm until the moment Makoto was having a text-off with his new boyfriend. The moment Makoto assured Sousuke he was going off to sleep; little did the butterfly swimmer back at Samezuka know that he was sleeping over with someone else. He felt guilty about lying to Sousuke. But, he didn’t want problems to arise just after dating the taller male thus he had to come up with a wee teeny white lie so he could make things completely clear between Haru and him.  


Once his cell phone was back on the counter, he came face to face with a smoking Haru. (and thus, the table of homework was left untouched since)  


Makoto wasn’t really sure why Haru was so worried about him after he had gave the taller male his blessings to go on that date with Sousuke. In fact, Haruka has been completely out of character the past 24 hours, more so than normal. He gets the fact that the freestyle-swimmer was just worried, but to curse Sousuke and threaten to castrate his family jewels? In the past decade of knowing the elder male, Makoto never knew Haru had such a wide vocabulary for curses and cusses, and every curse the latter had cursed was nothing short of…  


…violent? Terrifying?  


“I’m sorry, Makoto. I know what I said was hurtful to him and to you, but Yamazaki is really a good-for-nothing bastard. Just…just be wary of him, okay? H-he’s not safe.”  


Makoto furrowed his brows, deeply worried for his best friend. They were sitting crossed-legged on the floor now, knees slightly touching, with one of Haru’s palms placed on the younger’s lap. Haru was concerned about him; this much he could tell. But why was the raven-haired boy insisting that his newfound boyfriend was a jerk?  


“The water told me so.”  


Unsurprised by their way of being able to speak telepathically and to hear each others’ thoughts, the taller male could only smile in return. If he were to guess, it would have been that day when Sousuke surprised him by landing an impromptu visit by the pool at Iwatobi High. Both he and Sousuke dipped their feet into the pond while the other members practiced, so maybe that’s where Haru had got the vibes from the water. This had occurred a few times before, and, well… saying things like ‘the water told me so’ was just so… _Haruka._  


Emerald eyes made their way to the hand on his lap. Smiling, he entwined their fingers together in the most non-sexual-slash-homo-slash-boyfriend way he could possibly muster. His palm felt hot compared to Haru’s cold ones.  


“It’s okay Haru. He won’t hurt me. And even if he did, don’t you think I’m not capable of defending myself? I mean, I am almost the same size as he is, and I have a great left hook. Not to mention, _you’re_ the most familiar with my left hook, isn’t that right?”  


Haru scoffed, smiling as he did. He was fond of that memory.  


So fond, in fact, even until now he could still feel Makoto’s left fist coming down hard on his jaw, the pain and shock of it, the way two of his baby tooth came flying loose from his gums in a freak accident, years ago.  


And because he loves his best friend, he was able to let Makoto off the hook.  


Get it?  


_(ba dum tsss)_  


“Yes Makoto. I am very well _acquaintanced_ with your left upper hook. You and I have scores to settle, but let’s save that for later.”  


A pause.  


“…you’re joking right, Haru-chan?”  


“Mhmm. But it still doesn’t mean that you should let your guard down when you’re with Yamazaki. Got it?”  


Even though Makoto knew Sousuke just enough to know that the latter would never do anything that would harm him, and despite the fact that his new boyfriend was just a gentle beast with a rather shitty way of expressing himself, he still nodded in agreement anyway in hopes of making Haru less worried. Perhaps the latter was right. If anything, Makoto knew less about Sousuke than both Rin and Haru did. But he was still willing to try. It wouldn’t hurt to try, right?  


For the past two days of being in an actual relationship with somebody, it made him realize how small his world was. Back then, he knew his world was made up of Haru, his siblings, his parents, swimming, but mostly Haru. Then came Rin, Kou, Nagisa, and Rei. But when Sousuke came along, he realized how big the world is, how much he had been confined within his own safety limits. He has never been to Tokyo, never, but came Sousuke who had been living in Tokyo for a couple of years, and he wondered if he will ever get the chance to breathe in the big city air. Sousuke was so much more experienced with the outside world than he was, and it would make him embarrassed about how small his worldly knowledge was.  


And those texts they had sent back and forth. Surely Sousuke didn’t have any other intentions, right?  


Just thinking about Sousuke made Makoto wish they were together right there and then. His hands itched to grab his phone by the counter to re-read their conversation, but it’s late, and the other might be already sleeping back at his dorm. He sighed; already wishing time could pass faster and for Saturday to come.  


“You’re already thinking about him. I can see it on your face. Makoto is ditching me for Yamazaki.”  


Hearing this was able to snap him back to his senses almost instantaneously.  


“Aww… Haru-chan, I would never! You’re my best friend, and he’s my…well, my new -”  


“Boyfriend.”  


“ –yeah, my new boyfriend so it’s really different! I-I mean, I love Haru-chan, but I like Sousuke too, is-is that weird? I don’t know why you don’t like him but…he’s nice, and really considerate and…am I saying too much?”  
Haruka puffed, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at how oblivious his best friend could be. Makoto was absolutely drooling, ears slightly red, but his green eyes were glowing with adoration. How could he stay mad?  
“It’s fine. Let’s get some mackerel. I’m hungry.”  


Makoto beamed, sitting up and pulling the smaller male into a really, really tight (as in so-tight-I-can-feel-my-soul-leaving-my-body tight) and Haruka can’t feel his arms anymore even after the larger male had let go. Makoto’s smile was blinding his eyes.  


“Does this mean Haru-chan will at least try to accept Sousuke?” Makoto asked, sounding rather hopeful.  


It took all of Haruka’s energy not to sound frustrated at Makoto. He was hungry, and he needed sustenance urgently. And there was school tomorrow.  


“Yes. But it still doesn’t leave the fact that Yamazaki is a bastard.”  


“Thank you, Haru! And don’t call him that. You just have to warm up to him!”  


“Fine. Let’s cook some mackerel.”

\--

 

(Back at the Samezuka dorm.)

“ACHOOoo-HOO!”  


“Gawd, Sousuke, do you need to get to the nurse’s office or s’mthin? You’ve been sneezin’ non-stop for the past hour. It’s fucking 2 a.m. for Christ’s sake.”  


Sousuke absolutely loathed himself for being the reason to why Rin was awake again, in the dead of night. Only this time, the red head wasn’t kept awake by the constant buzz of Sousuke’s cell, but rather the waves after waves of stentorian, bombarding sneezes startled Rin so much he nearly fell from the top bunk.  


“I’m sorreh- ha-HA CHEEEZE GOD WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME – gah.”  


The larger male retrieved two tissues from the desk and blew his nose, doing it benignly, hoping that was the last sneeze of the night.  


He didn’t had cases of sinus before, so what the fuck.  


Rin grumbled, but he could sense that shark boy was turning his direction. But the room was completely dark, so he couldn’t tell whether if the red head was pissed at him again for the second time that night.  


Hell, he hoped not.  


“God, my ears are ringing bad. Sorry Rin, maybe I should move out for tonight. You definitely need to get some sleep, captain.”  


“It’s fine. My mom used to tell me that if your ears ring, it meant that somebody is talking about you. Most probably something bad. The same theory goes for the sneezing.”  


“There, it stopped. I’m not sneezing anymore. And you know I’m not the superstitious kind. Let’s get some shut eye now, ‘kay?”  


“If you say so, big guy.”

\--

 

Friday was a complete blur to the both of them, and soon Saturday morning arrived. Yamazaki Sousuke was still lazing around in bed with covers up over his head because yesterday’s training was hell and Rin was Hades and fuuuuuck he was sore all over and no mom, five more minutes please and his bladder was about to explode. And suddenly…  


_‘MY ANACONDA DON’T. MY ANACONDA DON’T. MY ANACONDA DON’T WANT NONE UNLESS YOU GOT BUNS HUN. OH MY GOD. LOOKET HER BUTT. OH MY GOD. LOOKET HER –‘ _  
__

“RIN FOR FUCK’S SAKE. CHANGE YOUR FUCKING ALARM RINGTONE OH HOLY SHIT.” Sousuke hollered, used his remaining strength from yesterday’s agony to bring his pillows over his ears, pressing it as hard as he could on his brain, hoping the lyrics won’t make him stupid. How in the world did Rin manage to download this song was still a mystery to him. It was never broadcasted on their Japanese radio shows but still. Rin managed to get a grasp on it.  


The music stopped, and suddenly his legs were exposed to cold, sharp air and he was jostled awake rudely when a certain shark dude came crashing down on his torso, using his fingers to poke at the taller male’s exposed buttocks.  


“Wake up, idiot. It’s Saturday. Do I need to remind you that Makoto would be here any second now?”  


By the sound of it, the redhead had woken up earlier before. Rin was completely a morning person.  


Sousuke absolutely loathed morning persons.  


But it was Saturday.  


 _The_ Saturday.  


The Saturday which he had been waiting patiently _(haha)_ for since Tuesday.  


Sitting up, he shot Rin a knowing glare before he decided it was finally time to show a certain Tachibana how utterly manly and seductive he was. He pondered for a moment, standing in front of his dresser (after showering of course, and he gave extra attention to his hair to make sure he smelled like fucking diabetes because fuck, it was Makoto he was talking about) and glanced through his choices of clothing. He never had really had much clothing choices in the beginning, but hell, he would make sure everybody they pass by would at least give Sousuke a second glance.  


He threw on a pair of track bottoms, a V-necked black shirt, branded sneakers, and he was done.  


Who said Yamazaki Sousuke needed to dress to impress? His face was his greatest asset, after all.  


Rin, who had been silently watching his best friend as the taller male tried to style his short black hair to no avail, had an amused look throughout the entire scenario. The red head was pretty glad Sousuke was enjoying himself with Makoto and Rin knew that this worked out very well, on both of their parts. The least he could do for them today was to give them a little time to… to what? Bond? He could already bet that they were probably going to do some kind of animalistic bonding ritual after their gym session, so the red head decided it was best to make sure he could still keep his mind clean and pure(ish).  


Even if he had to go completely out of his way to do so.  


“Oi, Sou, I’m heading to Iwatobi later to my dad’s grave. I won’t be back til’ late evening. Don’t wait up for me yeah? I’m having dinner with my family.”  


Sousuke, who was still standing there in front of the dresser mirror trying to style his hair, tried not to let his excitement show. Rin gone the whole afternoon? Things are just getting better and better. He would have the whole room to himself, and Makoto could come over since it was the weekends, and there won’t be a red head sneaking up on his business, and Makoto would be his for an entire day, and fuck, they had the whole bed to themselves, and they could…  


They could…  


He gulped, still masking his growing excitement without ever once so glancing at Rin.  


“Tell your dad I said ‘hey’, yeah?”  


“Sure thing, Sou.”  


“Oh, and Rin?”  


“Hmm?”  


“Thanks. I appreciate what you’re doing for me.”  


“Just don’t get the sheets dirty. And I expect everything to be in place and intact when I get back, young man.”  


Sousuke chuckled, shaking his head at how Rin reminded him of somebody which hits too close to home.  


“Yes mom.”

\--

 

Makoto was attracting too many pairs of eyes.  


He didn’t mind the fact that girls ogled at him as he entered the tram, but elderly guys were trying to check him out as well. He could feel eyes all over him as he waited at the station, he could feel them staring deeper into his soul (more like skin and muscles) and trying to undress him while he was sitting in one of the less occupied rows of seats in the train, on the way to Samezuka. It scared him, honestly speaking, to be the centre of attention for once, without Haru by his side to hog all the limelight away from him (because who wouldn’t drool over Haru, eh?)  


The brunette was painfully oblivious to how striking he looked that morning. Not completely oblivious, but still.  


Wearing nothing but a pair of yellow shorts made for running and a white windbreaker jacket which was hiding the fact that he wore nothing but a black singlet underneath; Makoto looked like he jumped right out of a model shoot. Equipped with his gym gear such as his grey gym bottle and waterproof watch and even his favorite green sporting earphones, you could say that Makoto woke up fairly early to make himself look presentable. He even styled his hair for crying out loud, and he actually went to the extent of going over to Haru’s to get the elder male’s comment and approval of having the day off with ‘that-Yamazaki-jerk.’  


Haru’s exact words really were: _“You look ridiculous. Have fun with that Yamazaki jerk. I’m grilling mackerel. I’ll see you later, Mako_ ,” and the door slammed shut in his face.  


But Makoto couldn’t help but notice how Haru had widened his eyes and had to glance twice at his dress up (sorta dress up, actually –a gym theme, anyway.)  


Once arriving at Samezuka station, the tall male noticed how the station was pretty much similar to his own at Iwatobi. The air, the billboards, the sounds. The only difference there was –this station felt livelier and slightly busier, just a tad so. He glanced down at his watch to see that he had arrived fifteen minutes earlier than the time they had agreed to, which was 9.30 a.m. He had fifteen more minutes until a certain acquaintance arrives, so he decided it was okay to go explore a bit.  


Too bad his wish wasn’t granted, because his acquaintance was standing right behind him and he was too busy looking at an advertisement on kittens to even realize a certain someone was breathing right down his neck, too close for comfort.  


“Makoto. Turn around.”  


Hearing that voice sent an electric current straight -he’s not straight in the least - up said person’s spine, startling him, earning the man behind him a very, very erotic gasp from Makoto. So erotic, in fact, those who were close enough to witness the scene all left with blushing faces.  


Including the culprit himself.  


After Makoto had brought his heart rate back to normal, he regained his composure, trying to hide the fact that he was blushing too and eventually turned around to give Sousuke the evilest glare he could muster.  


“Sousuke! Do-don’t scare me like that…”  


Though Sousuke had just seen the other just a mere few days before, he cannot deny the fact that he had missed staring into those lively, emerald eyes. It just wasn’t the same when they had to talk through the phone. And really, who could’ve missed the tall male emerging from the shuttle? Sousuke had been standing there by the pillar with his iPod and headphones on for the past twenty minutes; it’s called courtesy. He already had a feeling Makoto would also have thought about arriving earlier than the given time, because Makoto is Makoto, and Makoto’s an absolute angel. So, there he was with his iPod on shuffle when e saw a tuff of soft, shining olive green hair amongst the crowd and he knew immediately who the hair belonged to. His sixth sense was shaper than any woman’s, damnit, and his heart rate wouldn’t slow down for fuck’s sake. His mind was running a hundred miles an hour.  


And Makoto sounded so…arousing. It hasn’t even been a minute yet.  


This is going to be hard.  


Not that kind of _hard_ , mind you.  


Thoughts were flying through his head all at once it made him dizzy and breathless.  


_‘Should I apologize?’_  


 _‘Maybe I should have bought him some flowers._ ’  


 _‘Does he even like flowers?_ ’  


 _‘Wait…what was I supposed to do, again?_ ’  


 _‘Oh right. Apologize._ ’  


“Ahh…I’m sorry alright? You were just standing there; if it wasn’t for me, some middle aged dude might have took the opportunity to trick you into buying his drug-intoxicated candies, and you being the angel you are, you wouldn’t have refused and you know what comes next. In all decency, you should have thanked me for being the first to notice you exiting the train.”  


What even?  


See, this is the effect Makoto had on Sousuke. Every time the brunette was around, the taller male was able to splutter all kinds of shit from his mouth without even once stopping to think. Sousuke swore to punish himself for that big mouth of his in the gym later.  


Makoto, on the other hand was just speechless, albeit taking all his words into account.  


“So…thank you, I guess?”  


Sousuke couldn’t help but chuckle; he was dating the world’s most innocent creature, after all.  


“And Sousuke?”  


“Mm?”  


“You look…dashing.”  


Makoto was giving Sousuke the once-over, noticing how Sousuke could pull off as smoking hot, even if what he wore could be considered casual. It wasn’t fair to Makoto in the least, this man in front of him wore nothing but a shirt and a pair of sweatpants and it still made him look superbly attractive. Sousuke with his droopy teal eyes and dark brown hair. It was euphoric, to say the least. Makoto felt self-conscious, was he overly dressed for the occasion?  


“I could literally say the same to you, Makoto. Have you even seen the way the girls were practically raping you with their eyes?”  


Fuck.  


“…”  


“I’m sorry. That came out wrong. _Really_ wrong.” _Oh god Sousuke just kill yourself._  


“That was rather uncalled for, yeah, but thank you, again.”  


Sousuke wasn’t lying. The way Makoto wore his attire made him feel slightly under-dressed, but it wasn’t the outfit which made him say that. It was Makoto’s God given good looks which had the girls wagging their tails at him.  
He’ll have to do something about that.  


“Let’s get going, shall we?”  


Lacing his fingers with his boyfriends’, Sousuke started leading Makoto out of the crowd and towards the gym which was only a few blocks away. Yeah, his rash action had people staring at them, and surely many people would start judging them and perhaps some Jehovah’s witnesses would come straight up to them and wave their cross in their face because _‘HOMOSEXUALITY IS SIN, SPAWN OF SATAN’_ but he won’t give a flying fuck because this beautiful man he was holding was far more purer than any of those sluts he had been with. If loving Makoto was sin, then he would be a sinner for the rest of his life for what it’s worth.  


He had agreed to the terms of loving another man, and he was okay with it.  


Makoto was blushing like mad, but he wasn’t protesting because Sousuke was being extremely sweet and nothing short of loving. They walked side-by-side, hand in hand as they made their way out of the station and into the hustle and bustle of the small town. They swung their hands back and forth casually, like how they did so back at Iwatobi as they walked back to Makoto’s house that night. Sousuke noticed how the brunette still had a soft pink hue on his cheeks, he noticed how his boyfriend had his hair brushed completely to the side so his green eyes were really brighter than usual, and he noticed how Makoto had the tendency to smile, even if there was nothing to smile at. His smile was dazzling, showing teeth and all –it made Sousuke smile along the whole way, too.  


The looks on other people’s faces was priceless. Most of the elderly people looked at them with disgust, others with adoration. There were a few comments here and there, ranging from ‘how sickening’ to ‘ah, to be young again’ and he even caught a few school girls saying ‘damn, what a waste’ to ‘they look so perfect together, don’t you think?’  


They talked, completely ignoring the world around them. They held each other close as if they had been dating for months now, as if it weren’t only just Tuesday when they made things official, as if Sousuke didn’t call Makoto to tell him he loved him as a dare. It was natural to them. They talked about how lovely the weather was today, their favorite channels, their favorite football team, their best and worst subjects and finally their food preferences, which was a mistake; because neither of them had breakfast and now they were hungry.  


Basically, here was how the conversation went.  


“Hey Makoto, what’s your best subject?”  


“Eh? Hmm… Japanese Literature, I guess. I’m no good in English and Math, though. What about you? I bet you’re a genius in everything, aren’t I right?”  


“Oh please, don’t flatter me. They only subject I have confidence in is Math –careful, don’t step on that puddle –and the rest, well…”  


“For some reason, I find that hard to believe.”  


“It’s true, though. Okay, okay. Tell me, then, what’s your favorite food?”  


“What’s with all these questions? Am I being interrogated, Officer Yamazaki?”  


“…I’m sorry?”  


Makoto chuckled, shaking his head slightly.  


“I was just kidding. I guess I’m a chocolate fanatic. And my mom cooks a mean green curry, so I guess that’s my second favorite.”  


“Chocolate, huh? That’s sounds just like you. But I never thought you were a spicy kind of person.”  


“Well, I don’t take it too spicy so it’s okay. What about you?”  


“Hmm…I’m definitely a pizza guy. Or anything convenient. Actually, now that I think about it, I guess you can say I eat anything I have my hands on. I love pizza, coffee, rice, chicken, anything really.”  


Sousuke’s stomach took this opportunity to voice out its frustration by growling at him. Almost like a very angry dog.  


It growled so loud in fact, Makoto was able to hear it without much effort.  


“Sou…are you hungry?”  


Sousuke gulped. Honesty is policy?  


“Yeah. Are you?”  


“Well…ugh, yes.”  


Makoto was scowling, holding his free hand on his stomach, pressing it hard enough so it won’t growl out loud as well. He totally forgot to have breakfast before he had oh-so hastily rushed out from the door, planting a kiss on the twins’ forehead and waved a goodbye to his parents. The same for Sousuke, too, for he had been to vain to even prioritize his well-being. Rin had offered him a sandwich which he had declined, but now he is deeply regretting.  


The both of them regretted.  


Sousuke looked over at Makoto’s small frown. It was cute; the fact that he was hiding his hunger from Sousuke made the younger male seem more credulous.  


“Hey Makoto.”  


“Mhmm?”  


“How did the Italian chef die?”  


“How… I seriously have no Idea, Sou.”  


“He _pasta way._ ”  


Makoto gave Sousuke the most incredulous face before laughing wholeheartedly. His laughter, his giggle, sweeter than honey, prettier than a birds’ song –made Sousuke’s heart swell and his brain turned to mush. If Makoto was willing to laugh at every cheesy joke he had, he was willing to search the whole wide world for more dumb jokes. But the unwieldy sound of his stomach brought him back to his senses. It was almost 10 now, his usual time for breakfast.  


“Speaking of pasta, I know this small café which sells good spaghetti and meatballs near the gym. Their sandwiches are pretty good too. Do you…are you up for it?”  


Makoto wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes, still trying to fix his composure before giving the elder male a small nod. He couldn’t help but giggle all the way; he couldn’t believe that his boyfriend was such a geek with all those jokes. They made their way into the small café, a few blocks from the gym, ordered, Sousuke having the Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Makoto had a pulled pork sandwich. There were other customers eyeing them with curiosity, but the two of them paid no mind. They ate, with the occasional joking here and there, they chatted, and they took their own sweet time to finish their food. Makoto loved the sandwich, ate it with so much enthusiasm it made Sousuke want to have a bite. Granted, Sousuke was allowed a bite in exchange for a slurp of his pasta. They exchanged plates.  


“Wow, this ain’t half bad,” muttered Sousuke after he took a bite of the sandwich. “This is really, really good.”  


“The pasta is good, too! Man, I wish my mom could cook like this. I’ve missed pasta.” Makoto eagerly slurped up a fork-full of noodles, smiling as he did. The flavors, the atmosphere, it made Makoto want to stay in a little longer. The both of them were having breakfast together like they have been doing it for the last few months; the way they talk to each other, so carefree, made the younger male wonder why hadn’t he met Sousuke earlier. He watched as the teal-eyed hottie in front of him took another small bite, eyes closing in utter satisfaction.  


Once they were done, Sousuke came to a conclusion: Makoto wasn’t the kind who likes to let the other person to pay for his bills. So after having paid for the younger male in advance at the counter, Makoto managed to slip in a few notes into Sousuke’s gym bag, hoping he wouldn’t ever find out.  


Sousuke came back, a mischievous yet wistful smile plastered on his face.  


“Don’t think I didn’t see what you did there.”  


Darn.  


“J-just keep it, okay? If it makes you feel better, you could buy me ice cream later after gym.”  


“You’re on.”  


Another short walk later, they made it to the gym. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was more than spacious enough, packed tight with some pretty sweet gym equipments, some which Makoto never thought existed. His eyes immediately went to the weights and treadmill; those were his all-time favorites. But already, his mind and body burned with the itch to try everything he possibly could before he collapsed.  


Sousuke smiled at the receptionists. He watched how his boyfriends’ excitement soon turned into determination.  


“Shall we?”  


Makoto smiled fondly in return.  


“Let’s.”

\--

 

First hour in, their shirts were already soaking wet with sweat. Makoto, long after having discarded his windbreaker jacket felt his sweat trickle down his back and shoulders; he needed to do this more often. He was panting on the bench after having done some heavy-duty weights with Sousuke’s kind coaching, his muscles burnt and lactic acid slowly leaving his arms, but damn, it felt great. He enjoyed his view of Sousuke; the darker brunette had his sleeves rolled completely up, showing off those magnificently toned arms. Sousuke was panting with every rep, too; 120 pounds wasn’t child’s play. The most he could lift was 110. He could see Sousuke adding another twenty to his steel bar.  


Sousuke was amazing.

(Of course, what Makoto didn't know was that Sousuke was punishing himself for what he had said earlier.)

\--

 

Two hours in, and the burning sensation was written in every cell of Sousuke’s body. It was hot, though the gym had provided a little air conditioning. His shirt was soaked, so were his pants, and there won’t be a need to mention about his boxers. His calves were burning, trying to keep up with Makoto on the treadmill, both going at a speed of a brisk jog. Makoto never once broke his pace, ear buds intact, playing some unknown music to Sousuke. It took every ounce of the elder’s will just to keep going. How was Makoto doing this? He could be a star on the track, were it not for swimming. Sweat made his arms glisten. The singlet he was wearing made Makoto looked damned fine. Hell, _fine_ was an understatement.  


He wishes he could have him all to himself, right this very moment.

\--

 

Three hours in, and they decided that it was more than enough for today. Cooling down took no time at all, and Makoto could barely feel his legs anymore. His body trembled from the exertion and exhaustion, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. The both of them were sitting opposite of each other in the locker now, taking long sips from their bottles. They were heaving, panting, smiling at each other’s performance. Sousuke gave Makoto a dopey thumbs up, which the latter smiled goofily in return. They were sweating still, breathless; their sweat glands never had the luxury to recover. They dropped their bags near the shower, Sousuke going in first, because the other two were occupied. Makoto, smiling, still dabbing sweat way from his forehead sat on the bench, smiling to himself each time recalled how Sousuke had smelled like. Musky, warm and something like freshly baked bread.  


He was stretching his thighs when a loud ‘ding!’ was heard from the side of the taller male’s hand-carry. Makoto craned his neck to see that the noise had come from Sousuke’s phone.  


Pondering for a moment, he decided it was okay for him to investigate a little bit. He walked over to the bag to snatch the small touch-screen teal colored phone (the exact color of his eyes, how sweet). He took a small glance at the door of the shower which Sousuke was using, telepathically sending an _‘I’m sorry!’_ to the showering male.  


Was it okay to exploit his boyfriend like this?  


_‘What if it was an emergency?’_  


Turning his lips into a thin line, he made his final decision.  


Unlocking the screen (luckily there weren’t any passwords required) Makoto was rather curious to see who it was. It didn’t come as a surprise to him when he saw Rin’s name popping up from the notification bar. Two unread messages, but was it any of Makoto’s business?  


You know how cell phones nowadays have a tendency to show you only the front part of the text you received in the notification box?  


Yep.  


The front part of the first text read:  


**[Hey, I’m in Iwatobi now so yeah i’m heading t……]**  


The second one was:  


**[You should really tell Makoto about h……]**  


Makoto? As in, _Makoto_ , Makoto?  


Makoto? As in, _him?_  


Tell Makoto what, Rin?  


Curiosity really killed the cat this round. He opened the second text (duh, he knew what Rin was doing in Iwatobi already -stealing Haru away from him of course) and his eyes scanned every word Rin had written.  


In twenty-three seconds top, he placed the phone back in Sousuke’s bag and ran out of the gym, ignoring the over-stretching of his leg muscles, ignoring the fact that he's running away from this problem instead of facing it, ignoring that he was leaving Sousuke behind with no clue, taking the next train back to Iwatobi with tears free-flowing from his eyes.

\--

 

“Your turn Ma-…Makoto?”  


He came out of the showers feeling as dandy as a daisy, fresh, revived, but Makoto wasn’t there when he emerged. His boyfriend wasn’t sitting on the spot where he last saw him. Sousuke frowned. He walked over to the other stalls to find that they’re empty, too. He tossed his towel over his shoulders and began to search the gym, just in case Makoto decided to do a few extra reps.  


But funny, he wasn’t there.  


His heart swelled with worry even further. Sighing, he grabbed his phone and was about to dial the younger’s number when he noticed that there was one unread message from Rin.  


He opened it. It read,  


**[Hey, I’m in Iwatobi now so yeah i’m heading to Haru's soon to visit. Dad said hey. So did mom and kou.]**  


Sousuke smiled. At least Rin was having a good time. No doubt about it, he was about to visit that Nanase soon.  


He was about to resume punching his boyfriends’ number in his dial when he noticed that there was another text message from Rin as he pressed the ‘previous’ button. It was read as it didn't state that it was a new text, but he didn’t come across it before, so someone someone must've opened it and…  


Oh. _Fuck_.  


Makoto.

His eyes widened, brows twitching with worry, immediately reading through the contents of Rin’s second message.  


**[You should really tell Makoto about how this all started as a dare between you and me. I don’t want us to get busted. Srsly. Love, Rin.]**  


What. The. Fuck.  


Makoto read this.  


Makoto _read_ this.

He read this, and now… he’s run away?  


Sousuke groaned.

_‘This is all your fault, Matsuoka-_ fucking- _Rin.’_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added another chapter because hahahahahahahaha sou is in deep shit  
> I'm sorry for cliff hanger  
> I'm sorry rin's a douche  
> I love dem


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter to this story.

Sousuke has never run so hard in his entire life.

_‘How the fuck am I going to explain all of this to him when I see him?’_

He was running so fast people started to make way for him and part like the red sea. Frantic teal eyes searched for a mop of brown hair amongst the crowd, getting wary glances from passer-by’s.  The raven didn’t in the least know which direction he should go; he had no solid clue on where Makoto would have left.

“Damnit Makoto, please answer your phone, _shit!”_

He could feel his calves and thighs burning from the strain and exhaustion, but nothing compared to the tug in his heart and the deep, awful sting of guilt in his gut. The way Rin wrote that message from earlier, Sousuke couldn’t blame the younger boy from misunderstanding. Hell, even he would misunderstand the “Love, Rin” part if they weren’t the best of friends who understood each other’s quirks the most.

He jammed the call button again.

_“The person you called is unava-“_

“FUCK!”

Slipping the phone in his pocket because calling the brunet a hundred times didn’t work, he ran again. He completely ignored the angry looks of those around him, and in the corner of his eye, he saw a young mother covering the ears of the daughter while glaring at him.

He stopped in his tracks. Panting, legs quaking from over-exertion, he leaned against a wall of a shop. The raven knew he had to calm down because panicking isn’t helping at all. As he tried slowing down his heartbeat, he cleared his mind _. ‘If I were Makoto, where would I go after reading this message?’_

He wasn’t anywhere within this area, that’s obvious.

So, that leaves _… ‘the train station?’_

Did Makoto remember the way back to the station? Well, it wasn’t like the gym was that far away from the station, but to memorize the routes that quick despite his first time here would be rather impressive. _‘Okay, so, after reading the message, he wanted to get as far away as possible from me because Rin’s a dick. He would go back to Iwatobi, but then what? He couldn’t barge in on Nanase now because Rin would be visiting right about now, and even if I were to take the train there it would take at least another half an hour…wait.’_

Would Makoto barge in on Nanase while Rin was visiting?

Well, Makoto would go there if Rin wasn’t there, but the brunette didn’t know he was visiting his best friend’s place, right?

_‘He would go back to Nanase’s place, find Rin there and…’_

Oh.

“Holy shit, fuck me.”

Pulling out his phone again, he dialled the red head’s number, hoping at least to warn Rin of what is going on and what might happen before the situation turned for the worse. It rang, and rang, and fucking rang and finally,

_“The person you called is-“_

“MOTHER _FUCKER_.”

He wanted to punch the nearest thing and in Sousuke’s case, a lamp post and a brick wall, so he did just that. Knuckles colliding with the red brick wall he was leaning against, Sousuke could feel his skin tearing apart from the force of it. He felt blood trickling down his fist but fuck, he couldn’t give less of a damn.

Of all times, why did Rin chose to send that message to him today?

Of all times, why did Rin choose to switch off his goddamned phone _now?_

Sousuke wanted to shout in frustration, but he knew nothing would come out of it. No matter what, he’d still have to find a way to solve this even though it was all just a big, fat misunderstanding. He felt horrible thinking of how Makoto must be feeling right now; cheated, angry and the raven hoped to God he wasn’t crying, wherever he is.

He couldn’t blame Makoto for snooping with his phone no matter how hard he tried. He wanted to think that it was the brunet’s fault for reading the text, he wanted to blame Rin for even _sending_ the fucking text (seriously, he couldn’t have picked a worse time) but he couldn’t.

He knew he was the only one to blame in this situation because he accepted the dare.

_‘Look where the fucking dare got me.’_

Chewing on his lips, he contemplated on his options. He could, of course, give Makoto some space and time to calm down, but Sousuke knew if he did that, whatever they had going on – although brief – would end just like that. And fuck, he didn’t want that to happen because the rival captain, the brunet with the eyes of an angel with that smile that could cure a blind man’s eyes, that boy is that one thing he wanted to fight for.

Rin was right about one thing; Makoto had been able to warm his heart without Sousuke even realizing it.

His legs moved in the direction of the station.

_‘He must be at Nanase’s. I’m going to fix this if it kills me.’_

 

\--

 

The train ride felt like an eternity, but arriving at Nanase’s doorstep made the trip felt like it only lasted two minutes. Well, yes, Sousuke has never visited his house, but he has been told countless times where Nanase and Makoto lived and how cool it was to be neighbours with your best friend by a younger, more innocent Rin. He wasn’t technically pacing, per se, but he _was_ walking back and forth the front door, pondering on whether or not it’s the right decision. He didn’t know if Makoto was here right now, but fuck, what would he say if he was here? Never mind that, what about Nanase himself? It’s not like the shorter freestyle swimmer would let the raven waltz into his house like nothing happened to be greeted by Rin, right?

Well, it was exactly what happened.

“You were pacing so loud outside, I thought you wanted to break in or something,” said Nanase from the kitchen, already making tea for his new guest.

“I did _not_ pace.”

So, not only did that Nanase invite him in, Sousuke immediately realized that one, his best friend is here and two, his boyfriend-probably-turned-ex is not.

Rin stared at his friend with concern, his mind trying to fully grasp the scene at hand. He had been here for not more than ten minutes before his best friend arrived looking as if he was about to shit himself. Sousuke said nothing upon entering, just the customary “excuse the intrusion” and made his way to the living room, where he plopped himself on the floor diagonally across the red head.

“Sousuke, I thought you were with Makoto? Where’s he now? What happened?”

Said male looked up to his friend in disdain before shaking his head solemnly before speaking.

“That’s what I’m here to find out.”

The captain of Samezuka could hear the underlying sass and anger from what seems to be a normal answer – at least to normal beings that didn’t have Sousuke as a friend. Rin wasn’t sure if the anger was directed at him; it sure wasn’t directed at anyone else. Perhaps Makoto stood him up? That’s damn near impossible, Rin knew; that guy would go on a date with an old fart with missing toes because he’s _that nice._

_‘Perhaps he wasn’t able to eat that ass?’_

_‘…’_

_‘God, I hate my own imagination sometimes.’_

“Yamazaki. What happened to Makoto?”

Rin turned his head towards Haru, who in turn was looking at Sousuke with this stoic yet mad expression as if he already knew how their date went while serving them tea, placing three cups on the table. The tallest amongst the three kneaded his temple, still unable to meet their eyes.

“I don’t know, and I was hoping you had the answer to that.”

For a fraction of a second, the red head swore he saw Haruka’s expression change from furious, wide eyed and knotted eyebrows before returning to that impassive face again. The red head himself was still confused as fuck; why is Sousuke beating around the bush like this? What’s with all these damned riddles he wants them to solve?

_‘And I don’t think I’ve ever seen Haruka look so mad.’_

This time it was the butterfly swimmer who spoke first.

“Nanase, did…di- by any chance, did Makoto pass by this place? Or has he contacted you within the last hour?” He asked in a small voice with his head hung low, still unable to look at either of them, choosing to instead stare at a pile of books by the door.

Rin could tell that the owner of the house was getting impatient with the way the other raven was speaking. “What gave you the impression that he would come here on your date? Or to contact me?”

Haruka heard Sousuke mutter something like _“I knew it, fuck this shit”_ before sucking in a deep breath.

“Rin, Makoto found out about the dare. Accidentally. He read the text you sent me.”

Beside him, the red head gasped before freezing entirely. Sousuke still had his head hung low. The freestyle swimmer looked between the two; were they communicating in a different language or something? Something has definitely gone wrong during the date, was that why Makoto isn’t with him right now? What did Yamazaki meant by dare? And how did Makoto accidentally find out about this dare- oh.

Oh.

The table toppled and the cups were thrown all over the floor, spilling its contents when Haruka pulled on the other raven’s shoulder _(his bad shoulder too, for Christ’s sake)_ and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him up on his feet, all within a second. Sousuke could only grab onto the arms grabbing him for support, but he wasn’t fighting back at all. Haruka was definitely much stronger than he looked because now he has the elder male pinned to the floor, barring his teeth at him with ferocity Rin has never seen before.

“Yamazaki, you _fucking piece of shit-_ ”

“WAIT, HARU, please let us explain this! It’s all just a big-” Rin tried to interject, but still frozen to the spot as the scene in front of him played out.

_‘Oh god I screwed up big time.’_

Haruka turned to him, interfering with his plea. “Rin, you’re in on this too, aren’t you?” He turned his attention back to the bigger guy under him. “You’re a real bastard, you know that?”

He punched him in the jaw.

Once.

Twice.

Two arms came behind him to pull him off Yamazaki.

“Haruka, please stop! It wasn’t Sousuke’s fault, I was the one who dared him to go on a date with Makoto!”

The sense of protectiveness and absolute anger didn’t die down, but after giving a once over at Sousuke who’s jaw was definitely turning purple and swelling, his mind forced his body to chill the fuck down and listen. He peeled himself away from Rin who was still holding on to him from behind (in the most non-sexual manner) and corrected his overturned table along with the cups. He stood up, leaving for the kitchen to grab some wash cloth for the spilt tea.

Rin slumped down to the floor.

“Sou, you okay over there?”

The raven pushed himself up on one elbow. He tentatively poked at his jaw, wincing as the numbness faded, replaced by a stinging pain and sighed.

“Never better. Didn’t think he would have it in him, though.”

 

\--

 

“…I tried calling Rin after failing to reach his cell, but apparently, this dickwad here had his cell phone switched off. I would have called you but I don’t have your number. And after running all the streets available I thought it would be the most logical that he would either go back home or come to your place, and that’s why I’m here. You punched me. And that’s the gist of it.”

“But Haruka, I swear I didn’t mean to add the _‘love’_ to my message. I didn’t know why I did it, honest to god.”

The raven was still seething with anger, but no one would be able to tell with how neutral he was looking at the moment. He listened to both sides of the story, from how Rin had dared Yamazaki to confess to Makoto nearly two weeks ago, to where they are now, with Makoto nowhere to be found. He didn’t know what pissed him off more, the fact that it was Rin who initiated the dare, or the fact that Yamazaki was dumb enough to accept it.

Either way, they were both at fault.

And Makoto was their victim.

“I’m seriously considering punching you again, Yamazaki. You too, Rin.”

“You can punch me later, but what are we supposed to do now? What are _you_ going to do now, Sousuke?”

The tallest swimmer sighed.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what to say when I find him. _If_ I find him, that is.” He groaned at how pathetic he sounded, and fuck, he doesn’t want to show this vulnerable side of him to Nanase, of all people, but now he doesn’t have a choice.

He needs to see Makoto again, even if it’s the last chance he gets to look into those deep emeralds.

Sousuke noticed how Nanase was shaking his head, looking pretty stupid with his arms folded on top of each other as he spoke. “I don’t really want to help you, and I don’t really want you anywhere near Makoto ever again, but he likes you, so if you don’t fix the mess you made he will be crying over this for months.”

He noticed how Yamazaki was about to interrupt when he announced suddenly, turning his head away from his two visitors. “He should be at the beach. He likes going there to sit by the shore when he’s upset, but he’s afraid of the ocean, so it’s rather ironic.”

Sousuke blinked in surprise, mind wrapping around the information given.

He might be at the beach.

_Finally, a fucking lead!_

He stood up rather ungracefully, nearly tripping himself and was about to thank the freestyle swimmer when Rin spoke up this time. “It was my fault too, and Makoto’s a good friend of mine as well. I should go apologize for my idea.”

“No, I don’t think so. I was the douche for not coming clean to him when I should have. If…if I did, none of this would have happened and we would be together, still. I would have asked him out properly if it weren’t for the dare. So the fault is mine, this time.” Sousuke smiled forlornly at his friend as he walked out the door, taking note of how…surprised Rin looked. His resolve strengthened, and he grinned. “You can apologize later, Rin. But I think it’s best if I explained everything to him, first. Even if I’m the last person he wants to see right now.”

He turned to the door but before he could even take another step, he heard Nanase call out to him with a “Yamazaki, hurt him another time and I’ll make sure you’ll never get to swim again.”

“I promised myself I wouldn’t hurt him anymore, so you can count on it,” he said as he pulled on his sneakers. “Thank you, Nanase.”

After he closed the door behind him, he chuckles.

_‘Not that I can swim for any longer, anyway. But yeah, you can count on it.’_

 

\--

The sunsets are probably the most beautiful thing at Iwatobi. It illuminates shops and houses, painting everything with a warm orange, turning the most blatant view into a piece of art painters wish they could paint on a canvas.  Right now, Sousuke is jogging along the empty beach where here, the sea reflects the orange glow of the sun and everything sparkles like somebody dumped glitter into the water. The sky is splashed with an array of purples and pinks and yellows, and all Sousuke hoped for is to make things right with Makoto with this perfect view.

It doesn’t happen.

Coming to a complete stop when he notices a familiar gym bag and equipment by a bunch of rocks near the end of the beach, he realizes that all of it belongs to a certain brunet which is nowhere to be seen.

Until he notices a shirt a couple of meters away from the rocks, closer to the waters.

A pair of pants another couple of meters away, even closer to the waters now.

A pair of socks, soaked with sea water by the shore, this time.

_‘He’s swimming in the sea.’_

Frantically, the raven searches the sea and damns his short-sightedness, trying to look for any signs of a swimming Makoto. He walks up and down where the clothes were strewn, looking out at the sea before deciding to pick up the clothes and to arrange them on top of the bag before searching for its owner again.

_‘There should be a sign of him, somewhere. I can’t see him stroking at all!’_

He chews at his bottom lip out of worry. Should he search for him in the water? The sun was about to completely set ad there was still no sign of his boyfriend-but-probably-not-any-more.

But… wait.

Nanase had said something before, didn’t he? Something about Makoto and the sea.

What had he said? He tried recalling his conversation earlier, and it clicked.

_“…but the guy is afraid of the ocean, so it’s rather ironic.”_

Without another moment of hesitation, he stripped down to his boxers and kicked off his shoes before diving into the waters, ignoring the cold sting and the soreness in his muscles. _‘Why did he come to the ocean?’_ He ignores the sting of salt water on the wound on his knuckles from earlier and stroked as hard and as fast as he can, further and further away from the shore. _‘Why is he swimming in the ocean if he’s afraid of it?’_ He occasionally stops and comes out for breath, paddling in place to scan the waters around him for any sign of another person. _‘Why can’t I find him?’_ The waves were stronger now, and all that’s left of the sun was a sliver in the horizon.

“MAKOTO, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?”

He swims a few more laps up and down the entire length of the beach, body numb and shivering against the wind. He was now too far away from the shore to see anything, and all that’s surrounding him is water. Panic arises in his throat. He freestyles his way back to the direction he came from, about to call it quits and go back to report to Rin and Nanase when he notices something by the huge, jagged rocks at the far end of shore. _‘Could it be?’_

Using up the last trickle of his energy, he slides his way towards the rocks which were at least a hundred meters away. By now, the raven was struggling to swim in a line as he keeps getting blown off course by the wind, and his muscles were stretched to their limits. As he closed the distance, Sousuke could make out the object he had seen, and he would be shouting in relief and joy if he wasn’t dead tired and in the middle of the fucking sea.

Makoto was sitting atop a rock.

_'I had to swim harder and faster than I do during practices and you get to sit on a rock.’_

His heart was thumping in his chest, this time out of nervousness more than anything. What the fuck is he going to say to Makoto when he swims up to him? It’s not like –

A sharp, stinging pain erupted from his left calf, forcing him to stop completely in the middle of the fucking sea. A cramp was seizing up his muscles and Sousuke couldn’t for his life stay afloat.

“Fuck!”

He reaches down into the water to grab onto his cramping calf while trying to stay afloat on his back, but it was no use. The waves were stronger and without his goggles, his eyes were stinging with sea water. He couldn’t see, and he was fucking immobilized. The raven could only trash around the water with his arm that is not holding his cramping leg, desperately trying to stay afloat. No matter how hard he squeezed his calf to force it to relax, it just cramps up even more, and it hurts so bad that he hisses, which was a big mistake because sea water entered his nostrils and his mouth, burning his throat raw as he kicks against the water with one leg and one arm.

_‘Am I going to die like this?’_

If he had been shouting, he couldn’t hear himself because somehow, he wasn’t above the surface of the water anymore. He had his eyes closed, and he felt himself sinking even deeper while he concentrated on holding his breath, trying to use his good leg and arm to stroke himself up.

_‘Oh man, this is the lamest way for a swimmer to die, especially in front of your boyfriend,’_ he internally mused when hopes of resurfacing vanished.

He honestly wished for another chance with Makoto, because fuck, he was the best thing to ever happen to him. He wished that he had asked the brunet out on his own terms, and how he should have never accepted that dumb dare in the first place. But look at where he is now, drowning, probably dying and full of regrets over things that he didn’t get to do. He never got the chance to kiss Makoto on the lips, to give him a proper date that isn’t the gym, or the chance to tell Rin that he’s probably the worst best friend in the entire fucking planet.

It’s been about 2 minutes now since he went under the current. His heartbeat was beating at an erratic pace, and his lungs were on fire. His chest was drumming desperately for a breath of air and he could feel his consciousness fade.

_‘I’m so…tired.’_

And everything turned black.

 

\--

 

_“Sou…Sousuke!”_

Am I dead yet?

_“Oh my…god, please…up, Sousuke!”_

Makoto?

_“Damnit, why….breathe!”_

_SLAP._

 

\--

 

Sousuke heaved once, twice, and coughed up all the salt water he had swallowed. The burn of the sea water was twice as painful coming out as compared to drinking it in. His mind was groggy; it felt like he had sleeping pills. Slowly, he could feel his fingers tingling again, and there was a sharp sting on his left cheek, his eyelids fluttered and through his nose, he sucked in a deep breath before opening his eyes.

What greeted him upon sight was something he never wanted to forget.

The sky was dark now, but the moon was illuminating Makoto’s features to the fullest. His emerald eyes, glowing in the dark under the pale moon light were watery with tears which had created streamlines down his red, slightly puffy cheeks. His hair was damp, like he had just recently gone for a bath. His lips were trembling, and his brows were furrowed in an angry, yet horribly adorable manner. The shirt he was in was soaked through, and the raven could make out a very toned chest (and pert nipples, but let’s save that for later.)

Sousuke chuckled, and even that hurt like a bitch.

“If I am…dead and this is…heaven,” he tried saying, throat still too raw and he had to heave between words. “Then I…don’t ever wanna... leave.”

The boy in front of him sighed wistfully before shaking his head. “You’re not dead, Sousuke. No matter how mad I am at you, I won’t allow you to die because of me.” Makoto shifted from his kneeling posture to sit on the sand next to the boy who had one of the most embarrassing near death experience. Sousuke tried to lift himself up from his lying position, but his body felt as if it was a bag of rocks.

Beside him, he heard Makoto laugh to himself.

“Though I guess it would be pretty funny if an award-winning state swimmer died drowning. In his boxers.”

Sousuke smiled at that, face burning up at the mentioning of his nakedness.

“Thank you. For saving my life.”

Makoto only hummed in reply, offering a small smile in return.

They sat in silence after that, both of them unsure of how to proceed or make the next move. Instead, the two of them looked up where the night sky was void of clouds and the stars were twinkling over the horizon. The cooling sea breeze dried them up somewhat, and the waves that were crashing against the shore weren’t the same as the currents which had threatened to eat Sousuke alive. Makoto was even courteous enough to cover the taller male’s lower body with a spare towel to ~~enclose the nakedness~~ make sure at least he could stay warm.

“So…you’re still mad at me, huh?” He managed to ask, voice somewhat back to normal.

Makoto turned his head to where Sousuke laid with his eyes closed as if he was embarrassed to have asked the question in the brashest way. The younger of the two furrowed his brows, contemplating the question seriously.

“Not really.”

This time it was Sousuke who turned to face Makoto, eyes wide as if expecting an answer. _‘He’s not mad after what I did?’_

The brunet continued, looking down at his feet which were covered in sand. “I mean, yeah, I knew there was something fishy when you told me that you, erm. Liked me? And Haru even warned me beforehand but I didn’t really listen to his advice. So yeah, when I read the text I was very, very angry but it gave me a sense of, closure, I guess?”

Sousuke frowned, and he was about to interrupt when Makoto spoke again, this time even softer than before.

“Sousuke, I really appreciated the fact that you treated me like a real boyfriend for that short period of time, and I had lots of fun going out with you, even if it was just make-believe.” Sousuke wasn’t sure if that was a tear falling from his face or seawater from before, but either way he really wanted to catch it. “You don’t have to explain what happened to me, but Rin is a good friend of mine, so take good care of him,” he chuckled before adding, “and here I thought he was in love with Haru.”

The raven sat up, his cramps, soreness and pain be damned. His head cocked from side to side in confusion and what the fuck was that garbled noise that sounded like a mixture of ‘wait’ and ‘hold on’ he made with his throat?

Makoto turned to look at him in the eye, and all his physical pain felt like a kitten scratch compared to the shattering of his heart when teal met emerald.

Makoto was crying.

Crying, because of him.

Because of the dumbest mistake Sousuke made.

“Wa-”

His beautiful angel smiled the saddest smile the butterfly swimmer has ever seen.

“Can we still be friends, Yamazaki-san?”

His heart stopped beating.

_‘Yamazaki…san?’_

When the words caught up to him and started to make sense, he felt like crying, too.

Until, that is, Sousuke lunged forward and captured Makoto’s lips with his own, surprising the both of them senseless. The brunets’ lips were salty and sweet and oh _so fucking delicious._ He was somewhat aware of the younger boy pushing him away and struggling against him with “no, stop,” and “w-wait, Sousuke-ah!” but he held on to him. He held on because _‘no, I don’t want to let go, I don’t want to lose this, I don’t want-’_

“-to lose you because I fucking love you, Makoto.”

Sousuke realized that he had stopped in his tracks a little too late.

_‘Did I just say that out loud?’_

“Wh-what? Yamazaki-san, I-”

“Don’t Yamazaki-san me.”

“S-Sousuke, please, this was a challenge between you and Rin, I understand, but can you please stop continuing the act? It’s really not funny anymore and I don’t want you forcing your feelings upon me.” Makoto looked hurt and harassed; he had scooted a few feet away from the raven and had his hands in a defensive position. Those green eyes looked hurt beyond repair, and Sousuke felt anger boiling up within him.

It was self-hatred.

Self-hatred for being responsible of putting that face on an angel.

He has never wanted to fix something so bad. He has never felt this sort of resentment towards himself; he had broken the heart of a boy who was honest-to-god, beautiful and perfect in every sense. Sousuke wanted to jump of the nearest cliff, or throw Rin off the nearest cliff, he couldn’t decide. Everything would have been better if he wasn’t friends with fucking Rin, but he had to make this right, even if Makoto chose to just stay friends in the end.

And if he did, Sousuke swore he won’t ever look at anyone the same way ever again.

He got on his knees and looked Makoto straight in the eye, this time with determination more than anything. He watched as the brunet lowered down his arm before he spoke.

“Makoto. I need to make things clear with you, so hear me out, please?”

He watched the backstroke swimmer furrow his eyebrows before nodding. _‘What’s going through your head, now?’_

“Yes. I confessed to you and asked you out all because Matsuoka dared me to. Yes, I did it without considering your feelings, and yes, I thought it would be just another challenge. The challenge was over the moment I realized I felt something whenever I’m with you, and I wanted to call the dare off with Rin but it just slipped my mind to do it,” he paused, looking at the hurt flicker in those deep emeralds before continuing. “But fuck, Makoto. I don’t know when, but I fell in love with you. I don’t know why, I don’t know how, but I did. Fuck, I hate myself so much for hurting you this bad, and you should be fucking furious at me, _I_ would be furious at me. You should have just let me die amazingly embarrassing back there so you would have stories to tell your grandchildren.”

He stopped for a breather when he heard the boy in front of him chuckle.

Sousuke grinned and rolled his eyes.

“No. Don’t interrupt my speech, darling.”

“Whoops. Sorry.”

“So, okay. Where was I? Oh yes. Point is: I love you, Makoto. And I would have asked you out if I ever had the chance to restart all over. And about that text, it’s Rin we’re talking about, and he’s a huge flirt and douchebag, but no, the only time I would ever consider having romantic feelings toward him would be the day I get an A for my English test. I know I shouldn’t have wishful thinking, and I know you have the rights to hate me forever, but I just want to make it clear and let you know. I love you.”

No point backing out now.

“Sousuke…”

“I love you, I love you, I love you. This entire scene is cheesy and clichéd as fuck, but yes, I do.” He turned his body away so he was facing the waters. He really didn’t want Makoto to notice how fucking embarrassed he was. “But if you think it’s best for us to remain as friends, or that you need time away from me, or a restraining order, I will fully respect your decision.”

There was a long moment of silence. He closed his eyes, getting ready for the worst possible outcome. Immersed in his thoughts, he didn’t hear Makoto shuffling next to him.

Because the moment he reopened his eyes, Makoto closed the distance between their lips. Sousuke gasped softly in surprise, but in a fraction of a second, his lips were moving against Makoto’s own. Their make out session was cut short when the younger of the two broke the kiss.

“And here I thought you wouldn’t ever shut up.”

Sousuke chuckled, bringing Makoto’s forehead to his own. The backstroke swimmer was smiling as well, with his hands around the elder’s neck. Words cannot describe how relieved he was feeling; he was prepared for the worst, so never in his life was he expecting Makoto to kiss him. He was happy, and his heart felt warm and the warmth radiate throughout his entire being.

He brought his hand up to the brunets’ warm cheeks to cup it softly before pulling him into another chaste kiss.

“So, we’re official boyfriends, right?” Makoto asked.

“Yes,” Sousuke replied. “As long as you’ll have me.”

The brunet laughed, and it was music to his ears.

“Good, because we’re still soaking wet, and you’re in nothing but boxers, and my family won’t be home for another two days as they went camping without me, so…”

“Hot shower and cuddling at your place?”

“Sounds like a great plan.”

 

\--

 

Extra:

 

Hand in hand, they walked back to the direction of Makoto’s house when suddenly, the brunet spoke up.

“Sousuke, why is your jaw bruised and swollen?”

“Nanase punched me when I went over to his place to look for you.”

After making sure to drop by Haruka’s place to let both of them know that Makoto is safe and sound (and of course, with consent from the shorter Raven for the both of them to sleep together and the promise of Sousuke to deal with Rin later) they head back to the brunets house where instead of a hot steamy shower, they made hot steamy love instead before they had a regular shower.

And of course, there was cuddling. And cheesy pick up lines said. Lots of it.

All was well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND WITH THAT, THIS STORY IS OFFICIALLY FINISHED. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE SHITTY ENDING. 
> 
> I'm sorry it's been 2 years since the update, but no, I didn't leave the fandom. Things were rough and yes, it's a lousy excuse I KNOW. I just hope you guys are still up for this last chapter. Even if you're not into the ship anymore, I hope that all of you will read it for closure. This story means so much to me because it's my first multi-chap fic, and fuck, over 15k words is more than I've ever dreamed of writing. And look at all the hits and kudos and bookmarkds and comments! DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH ALL OF THEM MEAN TO ME???? I love each and every one of you readers, and to all those who have left a comment, I'm sorry for not being able to reply sooner. 
> 
> About this chapter: heavy on Sousuke's POV, and I'm sorry if i wasn't able to express their true characters here. It's been a while since I last wrote. This chapter came out much more emotional than I intended it to be, please excuse it!
> 
> And shit, I can write smut even if you paid me to do it. 
> 
> KUDOS, SUBSRIBE, COMMENT! I'll read all of them! And please do give me an opinion on this chapter! I'll edit it one day, but for now, Im happy where i left this. Maybe i'll write a small sequel to this in the future~
> 
> Follow me on tumblr for updates and other stuffs :[here](http://elany-maxx.tumblr.com)
> 
> Until then, my dear readers.

**Author's Note:**

> Updated for the Additional Tags! Sorry if i dissapointed some of you ;___;


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